Notes:
Jethro laid out Nantucket town lots, validated Indian claims, and was the Town Constable. For 30 years he was a selectman (overseer) of the town.
Notes:
William Gayer was one of the first Nantucket Commissioners to the General Court at Boston in 1692, after the island was transferred from the Province of New York to the Massachusetts Bay Colony; the other Commissioner was Capt. John Gardner, a brother of Richard Gardner. William was a Judge of the Court of Comman Pleas, appointed Oct 16, 1696, Sept 7, 1699, June 29, 1702 and June 6, 1706. His Coat-of-Arms is described in Crozier's General Armory.
Notes:
Richard's date of death and his date of marriage are well documented - He did indeed die nine months after he was married. Nevertheless, Leah bore him one child, Ruth.
Notes:
William owned the house on 18 Milk Street on Nantucket.
Notes:
Nathaniel Starbuck was a wealthy man and of good abilities, but was outshone by the superior capacity of his wife, a woman of uncommon powers of mind. In 1661 he sold to Peter Coffin his estate at Dover and removed to Nantucket with his family.
Notes:
Mary Coffin was the seventh child of Tristram and Dionis, and she became the 6th great grandmother of Winfield Gallup. A year or two after her marriage at age 17 to Nathanial Starbuck, her father deeded to Mary a substantial portion of his holdings on Nantucket: "In regard of my Fatherly affections, I do give unto my daughter, Mary Starbuck, the one half of my accomodation of my purchase, on Nantucket Island, namely, the half of my tenth part which I bought with the other nine first purchaseers of Mr. Thomas Mayhew, in Patten right, and of the Shachems [Chiefs] Indians right... and all my Right of the half of all lands, Meadows, marshes, commons, Tember, wood, and all appurtanances Thereunto belonging." The deed was witnessed by Thomas Macy, Mary Swain and Sarah Macy.
Mary was a remarkable woman. With advanced views of women, she took part in town debates and was an important and appreciated contributor. In 1701, at 56, she became interested in in the Society of Friends, and became a Quaker minister, as did several of her children, grandsons Elihu and Nathaniel Coleman, and granddaughter Priscilla Bunker. She was distinguished in her domestic economy. When her granddaughter Eliza's home was burned out, she shipped materials collected from several members of the family. She was known to fellow Nantucketeers as "Mother Mary" or the "Great Woman" [and "Great Mary"]. She managed, or at least was bookkeeper for, her husband's general store. Her fame came primarily from her conversion to Quakerism after hearing English "Friends" Thomas Chalkley and John Richardson preach on their separate visits to the island. She led a wave of conversions to the new religion which soon became the major one on Nantucket. She served as clerk of the Women Quaker's meeting and was the first minister. Richardson wrote in his journal that she seemed to him to be considered an unofficial judge for the Island and that nothing important was done without first consulting her.
The first book of births, marrriages and deaths for the town of Sherburne p. 11 records her death.